Usually there's a tradeoff between attractive design and more functional features, but Google has managed to improve both the visual interface of Chrome's bookmarks and the functionality with its new Bookmark Manager extension.

A few months after accidentally posting and then removing the tool (then named Google Stars) in the Chrome Web Store, the bookmarking tool is now live and ready for you to install.

And you should install it, because it's leagues ahead of the current bookmarks manager.

In addition to a Pinterest-like visual arrangement of your bookmarks, the Bookmark Manager makes it easy to share a folder of bookmarks, add notes or images to a bookmark, and find related bookmarks. The extension will also automatically organize your bookmarks for you into categories and search within the bookmark's page for your search terms. (That functionality doesn't seem to be working yet, but it's a work in progress.)

After installing the extension, head to chrome://bookmarks or hit Ctrl+Shift+O to view all your bookmarks and more easily organize them.

Besides the auto folders, the one thing I'm waiting for is a de-duping feature or a way to find ancient bookmarks no longer relevant. Still, this is a great extension for making more sense of your horde of bookmarks.

Melanie Pinola is a freelance writer covering all things tech-related. A former IT admin and occasional web developer, she is also the author of LinkedIn in 30 Minutes, a Lifehacker writer, and the Mobile Office Technology expert at About.com.

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of ITworld, its parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies.